This invention relates to an apparatus for splicing two sheets of material together in a desired relationship and more particularly relates to an apparatus which automatically trims and tapes two relatively large sheets of material together after the sheets have been properly positioned in the apparatus.
It becomes necessary at times to piece together individual sheets of material in a fixed relationship in order to compose a complete overview of a particular subject. One example of where this is routinely done is in the art of seismic interpretation where several large sheets of processed film must be connected together in exact relationship to provide the complete seismic picture required for certain analyses. These sheets of film are normally relatively large, e.g., 61 or 91.5 centimeters wide, and, as such, are difficult to accurately position, trim, and tape as is required to properly compose a complete seismic overview.
Previously, two sheets were manually overlaid in desired relationship and, with aid of a straight edge, were cut along a desired line with a razor blade or the like. The scrap was then removed and tape was manually applied to the cut edges of the sheets to complete the process. As can be readily seen, this operation is not only time consuming but is demanding on the operator in that he must maintain the abutting edges of the sheets in proper relationship until the tape has been applied. Small devices have long been available for splicing small articles, e.g., movie film, but this basic type of device is impractical for splicing larger sheets of material such as the above-described seismic sections.